The Tragedy Called Living
by ashtonsebastian
Summary: Cato and Clove were destined to be victors in the Hunger Games. They knew that was there fate. They didn't know that they'd fall in love and be thrown into the 2nd Quarter Quell, together.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So here's Chapter 1! I know it's long & I'm sorry about that, but I had a lot of descriptions to do. Please let me know what you think in the reviews and enjoy the story!**

Though she had never held one before, this knife felt so right in Clove's dainty hand. Her fingers wrapped around the handle tightly, almost turning white. She took in all the features of the weapon- its weight, its slight curvature, its perfectly smooth blade that ended in a deadly point. It was so different than the sticks and twigs Clove had always thrown to defend herself, but at the same time, was exactly the same.

"Go on sweetheart, throw it," her father quietly urged her from behind her. "Show her what you can do."

Clove looked back at her father, immediately seeing the desperation in his eyes. She looked back at the grey-haired woman watching her with an angry expression and knew she was the cause of her father's distress. Enraged, she hurled the small dagger at the target set in front of her. It zoomed from her hand, striking the target on the line drawn to indicate the bulls-eye. Almost perfect.

A sigh- a sigh of relief, Clove hoped- escaped her father's lips. Her mother, watching Clove with complete focus, murmured something to the grey-haired woman. The woman seemed to ignore Clove's mother and coldly said, "Another."

Her father nudged her shoulder, presenting her with another knife. It had the same look and feel as the first one. She let out a quiet breath and relaxed her shoulders as she had done a thousand times before. Her arm curled back and sent the dagger flying at the target. It ended up just barely closer to the center of the target than the first one had. "More focus, more accuracy," her father reminded her, almost speaking in a whisper.

The grey-haired woman was completely expressionless. Clove's mother only looked to the woman now, not bothering to share her unwanted opinion. "Another," The woman said just as she had before.

Clove looked to her father for an explanation, but was only handed another knife. It was identical to the two she had just thrown. Clove prepared to throw it, but closed her eyes in a mix of fear and hope before it left her fingers. She heard it lodge itself in the target and before she opened her eyes to see her results, her father whispered, "You did it, Clover."

The knife was sticking out of the center of the bulls-eye. Perfect.

Clove looked at her mother for assurance that she had done well, but her mother was wiping away tears. She knew what that meant.

Suddenly, she was being pulled out of the gym and away from her parents. She did not scream or cry, like her parents had requested, but simply closed her eyes as she was lead through a hall and eventually into a small room.

The large metal door slammed quickly behind her and she was alone. The one room, while small, was still about the size of half of her entire house. Or, she remembered, what used to be her house. This training center was to be her new home.

Clove sat silently on the bed that had been pushed up against the wall. The bed was one of three pieces of furniture in the room; next to the bed sat a small nightstand and across from the bed stood a small wooden chair. There was a barred window on the wall facing the door. Clove walked to the window and was surprised to look down on a large courtyard. About fourteen or so teenagers were engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a partner, mercilessly throwing each other onto the cold, stone floor of the courtyard. Clove winced when one boy hit the ground and blood splattered from a gash on his forehead.

The door creaked open and Clove whipped around to find the grey-haired woman entering her room. Following the woman was a blonde boy that Clove could not take her eyes off of. It was Cato, a boy she had known in school. He was a year ahead of her so he had left school last year to begin his training. Clove had not seen him for a year, and he was almost unrecognizable- his muscles had grown immensely, he had gained about six inches, and the smile he always had on his face was completely gone, replaced with a scowl. His eyes, a stunningly bright blue with long, dark lashes bordering them, remained unchanged and beautiful. They were the only reason Clove could identify him.

The woman turned to close the door after Cato had entered. Slowly, she crossed the room and sat in the wooden chair. Cato followed and stood on her right, arms crossed. "Clove," The woman began in a calm but menacing voice, "I am Crevia. This is my training center. I suppose you know why you are here."

"I do," Clove responded monotonously, refusing to show any of the fear or sadness eating away at her heart.

"You have promise, Clove," Crevia stated simply. "I believe that with training and my personal guidance, you will become unstoppable."

The thought of entering the Games frightened Clove, but the thought of being a victor made her feel empowered. A mischievous grin formed on Clove's lips. As soon as she saw it, Crevia knew she had found a future victor.

"This is my grandson, Cato," Crevia continued. She motioned towards the blonde boy who gave Clove a small nod. "He will show you around the center and be your training partner on most occasions. You will also have your meals with Cato and me, unlike the other students."

"Why?" Clove blurted out before thinking.

"Because, Clove," Crevia said as she stood, "You're not like the others here. Like Cato, you're promising. I am personally going to make you into a victor." Clove was surprised at her honesty, but also relieved Crevia had taken such a liking to her. That would make the next few years much easier. Crevia headed for the door as she said, "I will explain everything else tonight at dinner. You will be collected in half an hour to come eat with us." The woman began to open the door when she noticed something the young girl was wearing. "What is that around your neck?"

Clove instinctively reached up and grabbed the small silver charm dangling from her neck. "It's a clover. My parents gave it to me because that's what they call me. Because a clover is good luck." She felt her explanation had sounded a little too defensive.

"No, a clover is weak. It's a stupid little weed," Crevia spat at her. She stuck her hand towards Clove. "Give it to me."

Clove's heart shattered. It was everything she had left of her parents, parents she would see again only if she first wins the Games in six years. But, she also needed Crevia to like her if she hopes to be trained well. If she wants to have a chance of being a victor.

Clove barely had enough will-power to lift her arms and undo the clasp of her necklace. She lightly placed it in Crevia's hand, knowing she'd never see it again.

Later that night, Clove was mulling over the events of the day while lying in her extremely uncomfortable bed. Dinner with Crevia and Cato had gone well, and Clove believed the woman was truly interested in her. The rules of the center were simple, and Clove felt that she would go very far in her training.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a forceful knock on her door. She raced to the door, expecting Crevia. She instead came face-to-face with Cato.

"Don't ever say anything about this, you understand?" he barked at her as he shoved a small pouch at her. Clove took the pouch and began to respond but Cato was already hurrying down the hall.

Immediately, she closed the door and leaped onto her bed. She undid the twine holding the pouch closed and dumped its contents onto her bed. There, sparkling in the moonlight coming through the window, was the necklace Crevia had confiscated earlier.

"I understand," Clove whispered as she tucked the necklace back into the pouch. She quietly opened the drawer on her nightstand and hid the pouch inside.

For the first time in a long while, happiness filled her heart. Ready to sleep, she laid down on the thin mattress. She then vowed to one day do anything she had to do to win the Games.

"I _will_ win, and I will see my parents again. I will win for them," Clove whispered as sleep slowly turned her world dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So here's chapter two! Chapter three will be out soon, and if you'd like me to use you as a character in the story there are still characters available, so just let me know! Please leave any comments, reviews, or questions here- everything is appreciated (:**

"Cato! Clove!" The two teenagers turned off their treadmills and looked towards the source of the voice. Crevia stood at the door to the large workout room. "It's time for dinner. Wash up and be in the dining room in no more than 20 minutes!" Crevia barked at them. Not needing a response, she immediately turned and left the two alone once again.

"How far did you run?" Cato asked Clove with a conceited grin. Everything was always a competition to him, even simple training such as cardio.

"6.82 miles," Clove replied blandly. She stepped down from her treadmill lightly, not looking exhausted in the least. "You?"

"7.18 miles. I've won again, Clover," Cato teased her. He knew she had grown to hate her childhood nickname and constantly used it to antagonize her.

"Don't call me that," Clove said in a huff as she rushed past the boy. "Besides, you only ran farther because your legs are longer than mine. I can still run longer than you," she growled. The boy flashed a menacing grin that sent her out of the room in a cloud of anger.

Cato collected his towel and the shirt he had stripped off earlier during his run. He took a quick shower in the gym bathrooms before heading to dinner. The cold water felt good on his skin and made his mind race. He mulled over today's events.

Crevia had Cato and Clove train together all day today, instead of only two or three hours like usual. He found this strange, but quickly pushed those thoughts aside as her remembered what today was. Anxious and excited, he quickly rinsed off, dressed, and raced to his grandmother's living section of the center. The section she shared with Cato and Clove.

Cato went straight to the dining room, expecting to be the first one there. Crevia did say twenty minutes and he had only taken ten. He walked through the familiar halls until he found the dining room. Without hesitating, he burst through the doors, and was surprised to be greeted by two pairs of eyes staring back at him.

"Cato, nice of you to finally join us," Crevia muttered. Clove smirked at him, enjoying that Crevia had focused her frustrations on Cato and not Clove.

"You said twenty minutes, I'm not late," Cato shot back. Clove shook her head, quietly laughing at how easy it was to get him worked up. Now it was Clove's turn to push his buttons.

"Well, since he's finally here, can we eat? I'm starved and I've already waited long enough." A growl seemed to escape his lips, which made Clove snicker once more.

"Watch yourself, Clove," Cato replied, quietly but angrily. "We have hand-to-hand combat tomorrow and I may not go so easy on you."

"Both of you, shut-up. You're giving me a headache with all this pointless bickering," Crevia snarled. The two teenagers glared at each other as Cato sat down. "And eat quickly. You both know what tonight is."

Not needing any more of an invitation to dig in, all three of them began to silently devour the food set in front of them. Clove finished first, but was not completely satisfied.

"I'd like more," she announced bravely.

"You know the rules." Crevia retorted, uninterested.

"I worked extremely hard today, Crev. More than usual. I think I deserve more food if I want it." Cato stopped eating to watch the fireworks he knew he was about to be the audience for.

"Clove, I suggest that you stop now." The anger in Crevia's voice was completely obvious, but she continued eating.

"No." Clove crossed her arms. "I deserve more food."

Cato stared at the girl, a smile almost making an appearance on his face. Six years ago, she never would have argued with Crevia. She would have wanted to, but she never would have actually done it. Clove was smarter than that.

He wasn't completely sure why, but Cato loved that Clove was standing up to Crevia. He loved when she became vicious. It didn't matter if it was with her words or her knives, he loved every second of it.

"Food requires money and money does not grow on trees." Crevia pursed her lips. "So no extra food. You had enough."

Crossing her arms, Clove continued. "You make people pay a fortune to send their kids here. I know you make plenty of money off of them."

Crevia put down her fork and stared straight at Clove. "Fair enough. The students who had parents pay for their entry to this center may have seconds tonight."

Clove gave a smug grin. "Fantastic," she purred. "I'd like more meat."

_No, Clove, don't push this_, Cato begged her with his thoughts. He knew more about this girl and her past than she probably did.

"What makes you think you get more food?" Crevia laughed.

"I'm a student here, aren't I?" Clove said, not realizing how wrong she really was.

"I said any student who was paid for could have seconds tonight. Your parents did not pay a dime," Crevia sneered. "They struck a deal with me, and me, being the generous woman I am, accepted."

Clove stood slowly, instinctively slipping her butter knife into her hand as she rose. "What deal did you make, Crevia?" Clove demanded through clenched teeth.

"Dammit, Clove, let it go," Cato told her in a low growl. He knew she wouldn't want to hear the deal her parents made with Crevia. He knew she wouldn't react well.

Clove didn't respond. She stared at Crevia until she got an answer.

"It doesn't matter, Clove." The old woman sounded as calm and uninterested as ever. "They weren't harmed, so it's none of your concern." Clove's tense body relaxed slightly until Crevia added, "I suppose that doesn't matter, though, since they probably died shortly after you came here, anyways."

What happened next was the exact opposite of what Cato was expecting. Clove relaxed completely, dropped her knife on the floor, and quietly left the room.

Cato sat in silence while Crevia continued eating. "You know," Cato sighed, "She was going to be fine, until you said that last part, at least. You only said that to piss her off."

"Why do you care, Cato?"

He sat and thought for a moment, not knowing at all how to answer her question. Instead, he stood and followed Clove's trail out of the dining hall. As soon as he was in the hall, he knew exactly where she'd be.

He broke out into a full sprint, not stopping until he was at the gym doors. Through the window, he saw Clove, just as he had predicted. She was surrounded by tables piled high with knives Crevia had bought specifically for Clove's training.

He silently pushed open the doors and advanced towards the girl. As soon as one knife left her hand, she reached for a new one. She had three rows of targets on the wall, four targets in each row. Each knife that left her hand hit the targets right in the center.

"What do you want, Cato?" Clove huffed. Immediately after, she sent another knife flying. Cato was puzzled as to how she knew he was there. "Did Crev send you to collect me? To do her dirty work once again?"

"No, I came on my own."

Clove stopped throwing her knives for a few seconds to turn around and glare at

Cato. "Why?" Clove fumed.

"Becau-" Cato looked at her. Her eyes were swollen. "Clove, are you crying?" he asked, incredulous.

"Just leave me alone, Cato!" Clove shrieked.

"No, it doesn't matter. Just… just come watch the announcement."

Clove just stood there, staring at him. After a good five minutes of silence, she sighed and spoke to him. "Fine. Help me clean up."

"Just leave it. Someone else can clean it up." The boy shrugged. "We're probably late for the announcement anyways."

Another sigh. "Okay."

Suddenly, Clove felt Cato's hand wrap around her wrist. Feeling his touch made her jump, but before she could protest, he was hauling her through the halls back towards Crevia. In what seemed like seconds, they found themselves in what Crevia considered the parlor. It was really just a small white room that housed two loveseats and a television.

The television was rarely used most of the year, but when it was time for the games, the parlor basically became Clove and Cato's temporary home. Crevia, being a victor, would be off in the Capitol being a mentor, leaving Clove and Cato to life on their own for a few weeks. Clove liked this time with Cato; although their relationship had never been romantic, they understood each other and actually got along fairly well. Towards the ends of the games, the two would even stop going to training, and would do simple workouts while watching the games instead. The other kids were required to watch the games, too, but they would just see the games projected on the sides of the gym or courtyard walls.

Clove sat down on the couch opposite Crevia, moving as far away from the woman as she could possibly get. She was again surprised when Cato sat down next to her, so close to her that it was uncomfortable.

"Nice to see you two again." There seemed to be a bit of arrogance in Crevia's tone. Clove only glared, still angry at the snarky woman who had sent her over the edge.

"Is it almost time?" Cato asked, completely ignoring Crevia's comment. He almost sounded excited, and Clove was wondering what was wrong with him until she remembered that it was his year to volunteer.

"It should only be a few more minutes, Cato." Suddenly, there was a loud clash from the next room over. "Better not have broken the good dishes," Crevia muttered. "I'll be back in a moment."

Crevia rushed out the door looking as annoyed as ever. The two heard yelling from nearby, knowing Crevia was about to fire someone. They both snickered, but then the room went silent.

"Nervous?" Clove asked Cato. She meant for it to sound antagonizing, but it came out as more of a concerned question.

"Never." Then, Clove was overcome with shock, and maybe a bit of happiness. Creeping onto Cato's face was a smile. Not a smirk, like his usual, violence-fueled smirk, but a real, sincere smile. The smile Clove hadn't seen since they were twelve years old. He had such a beautiful smile. She couldn't help but look absolutely stunned. "What?" Cato asked, looking confused.

"Oh, nothing." Now Clove was embarrassed, and a bit frustrated with Cato for momentarily turning her into a pathetic little girl with nothing more than his smile.

Crevia entered the room, looking flustered, but quickly calmed herself as soon as she remembered the two teens were there with her. Luckily, the anthem began to play as the television came to life, so the three were spared from exchanging any more words.

Cato's mind went blank. He clung to President Snow's every word, becoming more and more anxious by the second. He felt it took forever for President Snow to introduce the Quarter Quell and summon the box that holds the envelopes describing each Quarter Quell.

Clove was sitting on the edge of the couch. Snow was opening the envelope. There was a deadly silence, in the parlor and onscreen at the Capitol. He began to speak; not two tributes but four were to be reaped from each district. In five months, 48 tributes would fight to the death in the Quarter Quell. Clove heard the words but couldn't process them at first.

"This is perfect!" She heard Cato yell. "More tributes to kill, more glory for me."

The sound of his voice snapped Clove back to reality. "Who else is going to go?" she whispered.

Cato and Crevia only stared at her. They didn't completely hear her question.

Clove noticed their confusion and repeated herself, this time with more volume. "Who else are you sending, Crev?"

This year was Cato's year to volunteer. It was the last year he'd be eligible and he was the strongest of all the male students trained at the center. For the girls, a girl named Sloane was to volunteer. Clove was much stronger than Sloane, but Clove still had another year to volunteer after the Quarter Quell.

"We'll let the random draw take care of that." Crevia said carefully, knowing exactly what Clove was thinking.

"I'm going to bed," Clove announced suddenly. "Goodnight."

She felt exhausted, but sleep would not come for Clove. She laid in bed for hours, wishing she could go to sleep and forget everything that happened today. She wasn't used to her emotions running wild like they had today. She felt weak, which she absolutely despised.

While Clove was busy sorting out her thoughts, the door to her room began to creak open. "Clove?" a familiar voice whispered.

"Cato, what the hell are you doing?"

Cato entered her room completely now. "Did I wake you?"

"No. I haven't slept yet."

"Me either. I came to see if... if you were alright."

"Why?"

"You were off today, Clove. It was pretty obvious. Crev thought you were actually sick. I told her you weren't, but I just wanted to make sure you were fine." Clove sat up, inviting him to sit at the foot of her bed. He took her offer, but instead sat next to her legs. "And... I couldn't sleep," he continued. "I was lonely."

"I'm fine. Crev just pissed me off more than usual." Cato shook his head as if letting her know he understood what she meant. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

He sighed, letting out a small chuckle at the same time. "Today was just... a lot."

"No kidding."

"Clove, you know how you asked if I was nervous?"

"Yes."

"What if I am? I know I'm not supposed to be, but it's a lot different now that I know this is really happening."

Clove stared at him, incredulous. "You're nervous?"

Cato frowned before standing. "Just forget it. Forget I said anything." He headed for the door but Clove stopped him.

"Cato, wait!" She realized it was probably a little too loud and they might get caught, but she didn't care. He stopped and turned to stare at her. Clove suddenly realized she didn't really have anything to say to him. Even though he got on her last nerves sometimes, she enjoyed Cato's company. Especially at lonely times like this. Quickly, she came up with something to keep him there just a little bit longer. "Are you still going to volunteer?"

"Of course." Any bit of nerves or insecurities had left his voice, leaving him sounding completely sure of himself, just like always.

"Promise me you'll win. As much as I hate to say it, you keep me sane here. You have to come back."

"I will."

Clove expected Cato to leave, but he just stood there next to her door, staring at her. He began to move, but he was moving towards Clove, not the door. He sat down next to her on the bed, closer than before. Cato brought his hand up to her face and stroked her cheek only once. Clove, caught completely off guard, smacked his hand away.

"What are you doing, Cato?" Clove hissed.

"Just shut up for a minute."

Cato again began to stroke her cheek. She was immobilized, not at all knowing how to react. He abruptly stopped and began to lean in towards her face. Just as Clove realized what he was doing, his lips were already on hers. Her body went rigid as her mind raced. After a second or two of inner insanity, she relaxed and her eyes fluttered closed. She wrapped her arm around his neck. He was warm, and Clove for some reason found this very relaxing.

Just as Clove began to calm, though, Cato's lips left hers. She felt the warmth of his hand leave her cheek, but she did not let go of him. She wanted more, more of this boy who had never so much as said two nice words to her, this boy who was now kissing her at some ungodly hour of the morning. She opened her eyes and found Cato staring back at her with very serious eyes. Quickly, he stood, leaving Clove feeling cold. He advanced towards the door, grabbed the handle, and whipped his head around to look back at Clove.

"I promise I'll come back to you," he whispered. With that, he was gone.


End file.
